Monday, November 11, 2013

14th Annual Latino Youth Leadership Conference Emphasize The Power of Persevering, Staying In School and Pursuing Your Dreams

LATINO YOUTH SAY YES TO EDUCATION

Latino
students are rising and quickly overcoming obstacles, individual as
well as institutional. In the span of 12 years the percentage of
Hispanic students headed to college has exploded, for the first time
surpassing that of white classmates, a new report shows. According to
Emory University, last year the enrollment of Hispanic students
increased by 80%. In 2011, the percentage of Hispanics receiving a
bachelor’s degree increased again to 8.5 percent - in compassion of
a 4 percent decrease by white students - continuing a 10-year trend
of yearly increases. As more Hispanics graduate with a bachelor’s
degree, universities and colleges anticipate that more will also enroll in master’s and
doctoral programs and in coming years and will earn an increased
proportion of advanced degrees.

On Saturday, November 9 2013, the
Latin American Association hosted its 14th annual Latino Youth
Conference at Emory University. Over 1,300 Latino
students, parents and teachers gathered for a day full of
motivational speakers, workshops and activities geared to motivating
students to go to college and pursue careers. The opening ceremony
started at 9 a.m., with nationally renowned youth motivational
speaker Gabe Salazar and Dr. Alicia Abella, assistant vice president
of technical research at AT&T.

Mariela
Romero from Univision Atlanta hosted a workshop to empower parents
with the necessary tools to keep Hispanic students grounded, focused and
motivated at school.

Best-selling
and Pulitzer Prize winning author Sonia Nazario discussed her book,
"Enrique's Journey" with parent's and offered a storytelling workshop to students. "Enrique's
Journey" tells the the unforgettable odyssey of a Honduran boy
who braves unimaginable hardship and peril to reach his mother in the
United States. Nazario is a graduate of Williams College and has a
master's degree in Latin American studies from the University of
California, Berkeley.

Middle
and high school students spent the day at workshops featuring
topics such as how to apply for scholarships and financial aid; how
to complete the college application; how to build your brand; and how
to pursue careers in science. They also attend a College and
Career Fair, where colleges such as Georgia Tech and Georgia State,
and organizations such as AT&T, Delta, GE, Univision 34 Atlanta
and the Hispanic Scholarship Fund will have exhibits.